QUESTION : How do you harvest thyme ? I wanted to farm some this class to utilize in the kitchen . Do you have to harvest it all at once , or can you just blame a little at a time as you need it for cooking ? – Riley T
GARDENING CHANNEL REPLIES : How you harvest thyme will calculate upon whether the plant is being farm as an yearbook or a perennial .
This herb typically grows as a perennial in planting zone five through nine . If growing the plant as an annual , you should harvest it as soon as the plant shows planetary house of flowering if you desire to reap larger quantities at a time .
You only want to snip away the top 6 inches of the plant to ensure you leave plenty for regrowth . Be mindful not to harvest any older or arboraceous parting of the flora . Thyme can be harvested two or more clock time per growing time of year when grown as a perennial .
You do n’t have to wait until the plant is showing foretoken of blossoming if you only want to harvest modest passel . Snipping humble portions of the plant away , as - needed , is perfectly acceptable . assure at least 5 inches of the plant remains after smaller harvest home to go away room for the plant to grow back .
Also , if your thyme works begin to expect leggy , do n’t pause to trim the industrial plant back . You may enjoy the small harvest while advance the works to acquire fuller .
If you ’re develop thyme as an annual , you should hold back until the remainder of the growing season prior to the first frost to reap .
Plus , you should assay to glean thethymeprior to monumental swings in temperatures or moisture as this can impact the flavor .
There are a few other things you should know when glean thyme . First , do n’t harvest thyme in its first grow time of year unless it ’s grow as an yearly .
If the plant is a recurrent , give it fourth dimension to establish its source system before you start out enjoy its bounty .
Next , it ’s best to reap thyme in the morning after the dew has had a chance to dry out . This is when the industrial plant is most fragrant .
Finally , it ’s vital that you harvest thyme right and salt away it properly as well . When harvest thyme , do n’t tear it by from the plant . This can harm it and entrust your herb undecided to pests and diseases .
Instead , use a pair of clean shears to snip parts of the plant off . Once your harvest time is complete , do n’t wash the thyme unless it ’s dirty for some reason .
This will avail keep the all-important crude in place . You may hive away fresh thyme in a plastic baggy for up to two weeks in your refrigerator .
Drying thyme is also a dandy path to store the harvest . You may employ a dehydrator or attend the thyme . Once fully dried , store in an airtight container . It should last up to two days before the tang commence to fade .
freeze thyme is also a great style to store it for later use .
You now have a better reason of when to reap thyme , how to harvest thyme , and what to do with your harvest home .
Hopefully , these tips will encourage healthy plant and allow you to enjoy fresh thyme from your herb garden for many years .
Learn More About Growing Thyme
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2004/2024-12-09/thyme.html
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/thymus-vulgaris/
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-herbs
